3rd encounter with Buck w/pics

[kodiakfisher]

Over the last three years I have encountered the same Blacktail buck three times. The first time I was in my tree stand on the south end of my property in September 2004, that particular time I had 13 deer and 3 bucks all within 30yds of me in my treestand. It appears they will come into an area that has some recent chainsaw activity. I was planning on shooting a doe but once they all were in the area I wasn’t able to keep track of the does with fawns so I decided I would shoot a good buck instead if the opportunity presented itself. This was my first glimpse of the boss of these woods, one point of clarification the bucks don’t seem to get as big in this area as the Cascade range from what I have seen but this guy is one of the biggest I have seen or the neighbor has seen. The wind changed and from about 50yds away he snorted stomped and took the whole group away from me. With my binoculars I was able to catch sight of a heavy beamed buck with a weak G3 on the left side but still a great buck. To say that I wasn’t really interested in taking this buck would be a lie and to be honest with as few Blacktail bucks as I get to see I just figured they were too smart for me. I wasn’t particularly disappointed knowing I could get a doe the next day. After finding the trail I believed the buck to be using during the winter snow I located another tree to set up an ambush, believing that doing some trimming with the chainsaw would bring him back in I trimmed some shooting lanes. This time I added a doe scent trail this was again in September 2005. This buck sure enough came right down the trail I had the wind in my favor this time and I wasn’t going to draw until he walked behind a tree at 30yds. Perfect set up or so I thought at 45yds he hung up facing down the trail. I can see him looking around and then I could see the wheels turning as in “what in the heck we have going on here”. Clearly this wary old buck didn’t like the fact the view had changed so out he blew never knowing I was there perched in my tree stand he only knew that something was wrong. I was amazed at his rack and how fast he and that rack could leave the area. Well now I’m thinking cool he is still in the area maybe I need to make a different plan so late archery season during the rut in 2005 I set up in another spot about 75 yards away on another trail but in an area where I can see a buck coming on a different trail from about 100yds away. I sat in my tree stand until late morning and once the thermals changed I was able to see three different bucks coming downhill and turning about 60yds away and heading back uphill. These bucks were moving pretty fast and seemed to have their guard down. So then I decide that there are bucks in the area and in November they are a much less wary. Well duh their horny and they are cruising for hot does. In 2006 we decide to have thanksgiving up at the property. During this year I have purchased a trail camera but the boss appears to be camera shy but a few other respectable bucks make an appearance. November 24th I find myself 14ft up yet a different tree only 30yds from the 2005 spot that “the boss” blew out of. I have picked a spot were I can catch any of the bucks that are coming down hill and then going back up like last year and I will be able to see them coming from at least 100yds away my only worry is a slight thermal drift going down hill in the evening but most bucks don’t approach from the down hill side this becomes an important INCORRECT observation. They mostly come from straight out or from the up hill side. Now I’m sitting about 14ft up a tree hanging out and a few does come buy with a nice forky hot on her tail then a doe and fawn come buy then there are about 8 does. All of a sudden I hear a buck blow about 60 yards behind me. I know that it isn’t me that is concerning him. Then a doe and two spikes come busting out of the trees about 10 yards from my stand but down wind, well I figure the gig is up but then they all turn and walk less than 10ft from my stand. Good deal, scent protection is working or the scent went over the top of them at least that is what I assume. I start watching three deer about 130 yards work their way my direction trying to figure out if the last one is a good buck or maybe “the buck”. They take their sweet time and by the time they are close to me it is about 45 mins until shooting light ends. There is about 6 inches of snow on the ground making is easy to see buck racks against the snow background. All of a sudden behind me what seemed like only feet I here a buck snort and blow out of the country and I thought for sure it was the boss but knowing there is none of my scent going that direction I figured something else had spooked him my heart just sank and at this point I was certain he snuck up behind me just to mock me as to say “I know where you are and what your game is” . Needless to say I was ready to call it a day because at this point there is probably only 25mins of shooting light left maybe a few more due to the snowy forest backdrop. I go back to watching the does and one small buck to my left at 20yds about five in total and decided to slowly look over the whole area one last time and when I looked down hill “the boss” is standing there about 50yds away. I just froze and was really afraid to breath. He sniffed the wind, licked his nose sniffed again certainly remembering the lesson from last year, he would drop his head and look under the tree limbs then stare at the does. This went on for quite awhile before he decided he should come closer for another look. I know that in about another 10 yards this buck should run into my scent line what little must have existed. Just as this buck took his first steps towards were my scent would be the wind shifted slightly to my advantage or disadvantage depending on your perspective. I had a large tree 4 feet in front of me with a doe in heat scent rag in it. As luck would have it the breeze was blowing directly through that tree. When the buck went behind the tree he must have gotten a nose full of that doe in heat because he took off and ran that little buck off and scared the does at the same time. While all this was happening at 20 yards I was already leaned forward and brought my bow to full draw. He was just standing there like he owned the place looking around for the does. This is were my military training must have kicked in because I felt completely calm and I was very relaxed the buck had no idea I was going to try and take advantage of this mistake he unknowingly just made. Knowing I was about out of shooting light this was going to be my only chance tonight. I made sure my elbow was inline with the arrow, my anchor was set and when the 20 yard pin settled right behind the front shoulder slightly high due to the angle and gently squeezed the release. You can see the arrow in this picture at first glance is perfectly clean....not what I was hoping for!

The buck reacted with a sharp jump and then the woods exploded with deer headed in all directions there must have been at least 12 deer around my tree stand. I was only aware of half of them! After about 10mins now the adrenaline is really kicking and I just have to get down out of this tree stand and find my arrow! I climb down and forget to move my safety rope down and climb back up move safety rope down get to about 3ft from the ground and jump out of my stand and get quite a surprise. I’m still attached to my ******* safety harness. The good news is that the safety harness did what is was supposed to the bad news I have to climb back in the tree stand and then realize I forgot to move the safety rope down again! The heck with this I take the safety harness off and jump down again free at last from that tree and tree stand. I now set about the task of finding my arrow by this time it’s dark and I dig in my pocket for my headlamp…cool I still have it. Click on the head lamp and the arrow is right were it should be pointing at my tree stand walk up and take a look and my heart just sinks. There are only two small drops of blood on the fletching. This is supposed to be a blood covered arrow, covered with red frothy blood and a dead deer 50 yards away. What started out as text book harvesting of a nice buck is going terribly wrong really quick. I am completely frustrated and shove the arrow back in the ground call my neighbor who is in his tree stand and let him know I just shot the biggest buck I have seen around here. Finding this bucks tracks was going to be hard because after the first jump I could no longer see him or what direction he headed and there were several deer in close proximity. Luckily the ground was covered in snow and once the buck went 40 yards he was in clear snow and I started seeing more blood than what the arrows indicates I should be seeing! Great at least I have hope! I think cool let the neighbor Dan know I have a blood trail. I walk the 250 yards back to the camper, yes I said 250 yards and let my wife know I’m pretty sure I just killed the largest buck I have ever seen around here. I stand around and wait for my neighbor, I think he took his time just to drive me insane and it has been at least 40mins and is flat dark out. We both start out on the trail and I think my neighbor Dan was either pretty excited or wanted to get back home and have a beer and he quickly started following the blood trail like blood hound. After about 200yds it is clear he is jumping/bounding and the blood trail is disappearing and Dan says he sealing up and running hard. My heart sinks he grew up around here and has trailed many deer. I was really starting to feel bad about wounding such a fine animal but try and remain hopeful and remember a lesson from last year were a buck in Mt. Emily went 250yds with virtually no blood trail and then was piled up. So we follow the smallest specks of blood, and at times just the tracks thank God for all the snow. We make it about another 75yds and Dan shines the flashlight up ahead and there he is laying there in the snow. I walk up and make sure he is down and by the looks of the area he has to be down. My dejected demeanor immediately changes to pure happiness and joy. I was truly thankful to be able to harvest such a wonderful animal. I gently walk up lift his head up and just wonder how many sons must you have wandering around this area!

After the gutting process I was able to verify a perfect double lung shot high on the close side and dead center on the far side! I have no idea how this buck made it almost 270yds is completely beyond me. I have since gotten a quite a few more pictures of bucks and you can see some of them on the trailcam thread. I'm certain that at least two of them are sons of this nice buck. My neighbor and I after looking closely believe this buck to be past his prime, there is a good amount of trash on the bases and his G3 on the right side has been more even in previous years. I am really excited to hunt next year finally having figured out these bucks and knowing there are bigger bucks running around based on my trail cam pictures.

Kodiakfisher

[sprigkiller09]

Great story and an even better buck!! Good work

[Super Fluke]

Nice job

[osulogger]

Great story and congrats on a fine buck! Do you have any better pictures of the rack now that you got him out of the woods???

Congrats again

From the land of Big Sticks,

Osulogger

[kodiakfisher]

Couple more pics:







one of his sons:




Kodiakfisher

[RidgeRunner]

Great story, nothing like hunting in the snow and being able to track in the snow. Congrads on a successful hunt.

[Applegate]

Great storry and great deer!

Way to stay with him. Persistance can be everything.

[jokester]

Congrats on your buck Nice story too..felt like I was right there with ya

-jokester

[Land Shark]

Wow ! Great story! I bet you really went from one extreme of wondering if you would find him to seeing him laying there.. Great job. I love to hear about tree stand success and the tactics that were used.

[switchback]

that story had me hooked great job and nice buck

[ehunter]

Congrads Kodiak nice buck

[Limbhanger]

That is a nice buck! Way to go.

[sliverpicker]

Good lookin' buck, congratulations!

[Crayfin]

Nicely done--way to go

[kodiakfisher]

Thanks guys,

I have owned this slice of heaven for six years now and this is the first year I have put all the puzzle pieces together. Six years ago I would not have believed such a buck existed up there.

We have done our part to keep the predator population down. Last year was a pretty easy winter and during rifle season this year not many bucks were taken that in addition to an early winter snow to drive more animals down to lower elevations. That seemed to tip scales in my favor this year.


Kodiakfisher

[Da Wig]

Third time a charm!